Checks, money orders, bank drafts and other payment items are processed using Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) technology. In the case of checks, the MICR-encoded data may include an identification of the bank or institution that issued the check and the account number on which the check was drawn.
In general, data is encoded on a document by printing characters of a specialized font, for example, E-13B or CMC-7, on the document using magnetic ink or toner. The MICR characters are printed in a section of the document reserved for that use, often called the “MICR-line”. A magnetic reader machine processes the document by magnetizing the characters. Each character, when magnetized, produces a unique magnetic signal due to the character's shape. The magnetic signal is recognized by the magnetic reader machine, which identifies—or “reads”—the character that has produced the signal. Even when the MICR characters or blank portions of the MICR-line have been overprinted with other marks such as cancellation stamps, the characters can be reliably read by magnetic scanning, because the other marks have not been made using magnetic ink or toner and therefore do not affect the magnetic signal created.
Check scanners that include an optical scanner to generate images of the front and back of the check and a magnetic reader to read the data stored in the MICR-line of the check are commercially available. Some of these check scanners incorporate software to perform optical character recognition (OCR) of the data stored in the MICR-line as a backup to the magnetic read. Some of these check scanners incorporate software for OCR of elements printed on the check using the OCR-A and OCR-B alphanumeric fonts.
Infrared is used in commercially available check scanners to detect the presence of a check to be scanned and to aid in mechanically feeding the check into the scanner.
Remote deposit is the ability to deposit checks into a bank account from one's home or office without having to physically deliver the actual check to the bank. This is typically accomplished by scanning digital images of the front and back of a check onto a computer and then transmitting the images to the bank. If it is possible to decode the MICR data on the check and provide that to the bank along with the images, clearing of the check is even faster, since it is not necessary for a bank employee to input that information into a clearing system,
The SB1000 check and document scanner, commercially available from BankServ, Inc. of San Francisco, Calif., USA, is able to scan any two-sided color document ranging from the size of a business card up to legal-sized 8½ inch by 14 inch sheets. With front and back image sensors, the SB1000 scanner captures both sides of a check in a single pass. Using OCR technology, the scanner captures the MICR line and the dollar amount of a check so a remote deposit processor can digitally clear the check and can, if needed, create a substitute check (also known as an image replacement document) in compliance with the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (Check 21) that came into effect in the United States in 2004. The SB1000 scanner reads checks horizontally instead of lengthwise, thus saving up to two-thirds of the time it takes to read a typical check when compared with other check scanners. The SB1000 scanner weighs just over a pound, and uses only 2 watts of power when operating. It draws all the electricity it needs from a standard USB 2.0 port, making a separate power connection unnecessary.
United States Patent Publication No, 2002/0051562 to Sheppard et al., published May 2, 2002, is entitled “Scanning Method and Apparatus for Optical Character Reading and Information Processing”. This publication discloses an automated check reading system. Two distinct and separate areas on each check to be scanned are illuminated by separate light sources. The MICR-line of the front of the check is illuminated only by an infrared light source. The remaining front surface of the check is illuminated only with a visible light source. A light baffle made from opaque plastic is positioned so that the visible light source will not illuminate the MICR-line of the check and that the infrared light source cannot illuminate check surface portions that are outside the MICR-line of the check. A check is inserted into the automated check reading system along its short edge, so that the check is scanned vertically. A transport mechanism advances the check so that adjacent vertical regions of the check are successively presented to the imaging station. While a particular vertical region is presented to the imaging station, the portion of the vertical region in the MICR-line is illuminated by the infrared light source and an image of the portion of the vertical region in the MICR-line is captured by a linear array optical sensor. Then, while the same particular vertical region is still presented to the imaging station, the remaining portion of the particular vertical region is illuminated by the visible light source and an image of the remaining portion of the particular vertical region is captured by the linear array optical sensor.
As described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0051562, the linear array optical sensor derives a pair of separate and distinct video signals. The video signal resulting from scanning the vertical regions of the MICR-line of the check are processed by MICR character recognition circuitry to output MICR character data. The video signal resulting from scanning the remaining portions of the vertical regions is processed by bit image compression circuitry to derive a monochromatic image of the check in which the MICR-line is absent. In the best mode proposed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0051562, the sensor does not scan the entire document, but scans only 3.200 inches of the check height. Specifically, the top 0.273 inches of a 3.660 inch high check will not be imaged, even though about 0.150 inches of that is information-containing surface.
As noted in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0051562, “When a customer fills out a check at the point of sale, it is entirely possible that portions of the signature or descriptive notes may descend into the MICR portion of the check. Such hand-written marks could make the MICR characters unidentifiable unless a way is found to separate the hand-written marks from the printed MICR characters. However, MICR ink absorbs infrared light, while the majority of inks used in ball point pens do not absorb infrared light. Wherefore MICR characters are illuminated with infrared light, to insure that hand-written marks or ink smudges will not be visible to the sensor array 10.” If a portion of the signature or descriptive notes descend into the MICR-line of the check, those portions of the signature or descriptive notes will be absent from the monochromatic image of the check. In other words, the monochromatic image of the check will lack the complete signature or the complete descriptive notes.
Commercially available document scanners for “secure” documents scan infrared ink and digital “watermarked” items commonly used in passports, driver's licenses, identification cards, and bank notes. Such scanners may be operated in a color mode, in a black-and-white mode, or in an infrared mode. In the color mode, the scan is conducted using visible light and the output is a color image of the scanned document. In the black-and-white mode, the scan is conducted using visible light and the output is a black-and-white or grayscale image of the scanned document. In the infrared mode, the scan is conducted using infrared light and the output is a black-and-white or grayscale image of the scanned document.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity.